


It Always Comes Back To You

by HomeForImaginaryFriends



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Asexual Character, Asexuality, Edo Period, Feudal Japan, Getting Together, M/M, Samurai, Swearing, but I couldn't resist, period drama, the kurodai is very minor and put at the end
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-07
Updated: 2018-08-07
Packaged: 2019-06-23 04:02:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15597876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HomeForImaginaryFriends/pseuds/HomeForImaginaryFriends
Summary: Kei travels with his father to Japan to learn the family business but he ends up learning so much more.





	It Always Comes Back To You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Stacysmash](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stacysmash/gifts).



> Over on tumblr stacysmash requested a Tanaka/Tsukishima period drama and I don't know if y'all know this but I love me some period dramas.

**1868**

 

Kei fights his way through the panicking and growing crowd.  There’s shouting and he can hear someone trying to shout orders over everyone but no one is listening as the army advances in Edo.  Kei stops fighting against the agitated crowd and takes a side street, his clothes sticking to him in the too-hot summer day. He can feel anxiety worming it’s way through him, worry that he will never find who he is looking for in a city as big as Edo and so full of people.  But he fights those feelings down, finds himself dismissing the errant thoughts one by one because they are not helpful and he has no time for such distractions.

 

The alley leads out into another main street, though this one has already been cleared.  Kei makes his way down swiftly, knowing of just one place  _ he _ could be.

 

It goes against everything Kei has worked for, everything he believes in and has taught himself to be doing such an action.  He should head back to his ship and inform the captain that they are leaving right away. He had no business being in the middle of an uprising in Japan’s capital.  He had even been warned beforehand and he had plenty of time to pack up and save his own interests but instead he was covered in sweat and running down the street towards his destination.

 

Kei didn’t have to ask how he got there, he knew how this all began and he partially cursed his younger self for being so stupid.  If he hadn’t wandered off then none of this would have happened.

  
  


**1857**

  
  


_ Kei didn’t understand why his father had to do business in Japan during the summer.  He thought it got sweltering in Stockholm but that was nothing compared to Edo. He almost envied those dressed in their summer kimonos while he wore several layers of a suit, the newest and most sought after fashion back in Sweden.  Kei thought he might die of heat exhaustion in it. _

 

_ Lately Kei found himself angry all the time.  It festered inside him, boiling over into his every interaction.  He wanted to go home, he was just 15 and he had plans of his own. But then his elder brother had run off and Kei had suddenly found himself in line for the head of the house, along with the large company his father ran.  To discourage Kei from following in his brothers footsteps, the elder Tsukishima brought his son along on his trip to Japan. _

 

_ Kei’s father was a wealthy Swedish businessman who had married a pretty Japanese woman.  Kei thought it all had to do with looks considering neither spoke a word of the others language.  Kei had been raised to speak Swedish and English, Japanese had been taught as a third language. He had thought he did remarkably well in it but the way his mother spoke and taught it was much different than how it was done in busy Edo. _

 

_ There were so many people, crowding and pushing around Kei and he just needed room to breathe and think.  He stumbled into an alley with an inaudible sigh as he reached up to to loosen the knot at his throat. A voice came from behind him and Kei turned to see three leering men following him, speaking Japanese and motioning to him. _

 

_ Kei scowled but knew it was particularly useless.  He towered over most people but he didn’t have any build or musculature to back it up.  They kept talking, sneering at him and pointing to his waist and Kei knew they were trying to rob him.  Which would have been fine really, if he had a coin purse on him or any money at all, which he did not. _

 

_ A dagger was pulled on Kei, who stumbled and his back hit the wall as he stared down at the blade.  His throat went dry and he couldn’t force words out of his mouth even if he wanted to. _

 

_ “What’s all this about?”  A voice called down the aisle before a man appeared.  Kei didn’t think he could be that much older than himself but what seemed to make everyone pause was the two swords strapped to the left side of his waist.  The men who had attempted to rob Kei bowed, spitting out apologies before darting away. Kei watched them go with a sort of disconnect. _

 

_ Kei startled as the man with the swords stopped in front of him, brows furrowed as he tilted his head.  Kei realized he had slid down the wall quite a bit and stood up to straighten his posture. _

 

_ “Careful.”  The man instructed before frowning slightly.  “You can’t understand a word I’m saying, can you?”  He grinned at that and Kei scowled. _

 

_ “I’m not an imbecile, I can understand you just fine.”  Kei snapped back in Japanese. Instead of looking offended the man just laughed. _

 

_ “Then why didn’t you give them your coin?  Was it worth your life?” He asked, his amusement rubbing Kei the wrong way. _

 

_ “I didn’t give it to them because I don’t have any.”  Kei turned to storm away but the heat and the loss of adrenaline made his head swim, causing him to list to the side and slam into the wall once more for support.  “I don’t know your help.” He grumbled as the man stepped closer. _

 

_ “Listen boy, you can continue to be a little shit or you can grow up and accept some help.”  The man swung Kei’s arm around his shoulder, Kei could feel the bunch of muscle underneath him as he leaned against the stranger.  “I’m Tanaka by the way, not that you asked.” There was annoyance there but still the edge of amusement stayed. Kei felt his face burn more because he was taught manners and this man had assisted him, twice. _

 

_ “Kei.”  Kei muttered and Tanaka looked surprised once more as Kei remembered that here they went by family names, only those who are trusted and close were called by their first name.  Kei didn’t care, he didn’t want to be known by the name attached to his father or his brother, for once he just wanted to be himself. So he stubbornly refused to give his last name even if it was considered rude. _

  
  


**1868**

 

There weren’t many times that Kei wished he was something other than he was.  At 26 he had long since accepted that he would be taller than a good majority of the population and while he would never be largely muscular, which was not in fashion anyways, he was lean and had spent years making sure he could defend himself.

 

As Kei crouched down and hid from oncoming soldiers he wished he was smaller.  He was too easily spotted, his hair making him stick out even more. But he was almost to his destination and he was clever, he could get there without being caught.  He had to because he had no other choice.

 

Kei wasn’t leaving without Ryuu, it wasn’t going to happen.

  
  


**1860**

  
  


_ Kei walked behind his father and the wealthy merchants he had gone into business with.  Japan was in a state of isolation, so most deals were done illegally. Whenever he tried to bring it up with his father it was brushed away, saying everyone knew what they were there for and they would be fine. _

 

_ The sprawling palace that the shogun, the emperor of Japan, lived in was beyond several hills.  Kei had to admit he was quite curious about it and the young shogun who lived there. He was said to be only a few years older than Kei himself, he couldn’t imagine ruling a country at 20.  He had whispers from the woman about how handsome their shogun was, Sawamura Daichi, how nicely he filled out his clothes before they broke off into giggles. _

 

_ “Yes, those are the samurais.”  One of the translators spoke, answering a question Kei had missed.  Kei turned towards the training soldiers, his breath catching in his throat as he spotted one in particular.  “The one leading them, he is a highly respected daimyo, and so young too.” _

 

_ Kei’s eyes went back to the daimyo in question.  His broad back was in full display, it seemed that Kei had seen him wearing less clothes more often than more. _

 

_ “Daimyo?”  One of the other Swedish men asked. _

 

_ “A vessel to the shogun, they own land but lord Tanaka has always chosen to remain guarding our imperial majesty.”  The translator explained. _

 

_ Kei watched Tanaka as he usually did when the man was in his vicinity.  Kei didn’t know what attracted his attention to the other man so often, though he always complained it was because Tanaka was so loud.  It was simply because Tanaka demanded attention, whether he was speaking or not. _

 

_ Kei had no idea that Tanaka was close to the shogun, he had thought he was just a mere footsoldier.  It made sense, Tanaka never had a crossword to say about the shogun but was always happy to answer any question Kei had about this foreign land he often found himself in. _

 

_ Tanaka turned from where he had been instructing a younger man on the proper way to hold his sword, his eyes seemingly seeking out Kei’s before they landed on him.  Tanaka’s smile was big and board as always, giving a big wave before turning back to his students. _

 

_ “He is friendly.”  Someone said as they continued to move on.  Kei stayed to the back and kept his smile to himself, knowing that the wave and more importantly, the smile, had been directed at him. _

  
  


**1868**

  
  


Kei thought it shouldn’t be so easy to sneak into a palace but people were rather preoccupied with the currently uprising to pay him much attention.  Many had come to know his face over the years, Ryuu had a permanent room here after all and Kei was often times an overnight guest. Kei hadn’t seen much more than Ryuu’s quarters though and the palace was a huge monstricity, making it particularly difficult to find one particular samurai.

 

“ _ Looking for something _ ?”  A sly voice asked, somehow he spoke Kei’s homelands language without even a stutter.  Kei turned and scowled over at a familiar face.

 

Kuroo Tetsurou wasn’t someone Kei had wanted to become acquainted with, but his master was quite interested in bringing Japan into the worlds fold.  Kei considered himself a clever individual, an expensive education accounted for some of that but he tended to use people's weaknesses against them. His father had kept the family business alive but Kei had made it thrive.

 

Kei could never get a good read on Kuroo though, the man seemed to be constantly smirking, amused about something or another.  Ryuu had never trusted him and Kei couldn’t blame him. But Kuroo had warned Kei about the attack, perhaps he assumed Kei would pack up and go back home to avoid being thrown into a civil war but instead he had gone to the very place the uprisers were marching towards, the palace.

 

“Are you?”  Kei replied back in Japanese, the smirk spreading further across Kuroo’s admittedly handsome face.

 

“I believe what we are both looking for can be found in the same place and it’s best if I’m the one who found them, don’t you agree?”  Kuroo asked and Kei felt a trickle of sweat go down his face. He was out of breath from running around, his chest felt like it was on fire but Kuroo looked as if he was merely out for a stroll.  Infuriating man.

 

“I don’t have time for your mind games.”  Kei continued walking, not surprised when Kuroo easily kept pace with him despite Kei’s longer legs.  “Are you going to kill the emperor?” Kei couldn’t help but ask, fearing the answer. Isn’t that what happened when royalty was usurped?  If the emperors life was in danger, Kei feared that Ryuu would never leave his side no matter what it meant to his own life.

 

But Kuroo didn’t answer, just smirked and continued to follow Kei in silence.  Kei tried not to let that bother him.

  
  


**1862**

  
  


_ Kei felt distinctly uncomfortable as his father laughed with the other businessmen and their translators along with the prostitutes who hid their smiles behind the sleeves of their kimonos.  Kei knew business was conducted in the brothels in Edo because his father had been dragging him along since he turned 18 but he still couldn’t shake the feel of unease. _

 

_ Kei told himself it was because his mother was barely buried before his father came to such a place but he knew his father had been coming for years now.  His mother had always been the good and proper wife, small and delicate, a woman who only spoke her husbands opinion and very little else. The older Kei got the more he wondered if his mother had ever experienced happiness and if he would be stuck in the same situation as she had been. _

 

_ Pushing himself away from the table, Kei exited the room when he was sure everyone was too drunk on sake to notice his leaving.  He didn’t want any of the prostitutes his father was constantly pushing on him nor did he consider any of the woman back home who twittered and stared at him from a respectable distance.  Kei had very little interest in woman at all for that matter but he knew his time was drawing short, he would need to marry soon and have children. It was what was expected of him. _

 

_ A familiar boisterous laugh catches Kei’s attention.  He feels the urge to roll his eyes because naturally tanaka is here and naturally he’s being loud about it. _

 

_ Kei finds himself walking towards the door instead of away from it.  He’s long accepted that there must be something wrong with him to be so drawn to Tanaka.  Tanaka, who was brash and loud, who gets angry at the smallest of things but is quick to forgive.  Tanaka and his inability to keep his goddamn kimono on. _

 

_ Kei heard the voices of both men and women, talking and enjoying their time together.  Kei felt his stomach drop as he heard Tanaka request something from one of the prostitutes. _

 

_ Before Kei could walk away the door was pulled open and he looked down into a familiar face.  Yachi looked panicked for a moment before a smile crossed her face when she looked up, and up into Kei’s face. _

 

_ “Hello Tsukishima-san, can I help you?”  Yachi bowed politely as Kei stepped back so he wasn’t crowding her space. _

 

_ “Tsukki!”  Kei cringed and tried to walk away quickly but Tanaka was already on him. _

 

_ Even though Kei was skilled in Japanese, much more than he was when he first met Tanaka, his father insisted that he have a guide with him.  Yamaguchi Tadashi had been terribly timid, bordering on pathetic when they first met. As the years went on Kei was glad for a companion his own age, though he’d never willingly admit that.  But the one thing he regretted was allowing Tadashi to call him ‘Tsukki’. The other boy hadn’t felt comfortable calling him Kei when they first met, nearly broke out in hives when Kei insisted.  So he allowed the nickname and after years of its use Kei didn’t even cringe when hearing it anymore. _

 

_ Until Tanaka had overheard it and now used it to torture Kei.  Kei was trying to make his escape but even drunk, Tanaka was wickedly fast and managed to catch Kei before he had taken two steps.  Kei refused to believe he had allowed himself to be caught. _

 

_ “Don’t run away Tsukki.”  Tanaka laughed but his grip was tight around Kei’s forearm.  Not enough to hurt, despite his brash and sometimes aggressive behavior Tanaka was surprisingly gentle.  HIs kimono was also gaping open and Kei couldn’t stop from looking at the skin revealed there. _

 

_ The moment was broken by Kei’s fathers loud voice, calling for his son and asking for the most experienced woman in the brothel.  Kei felt his face fall but he also felt grounded from the hold on his arm and Tanaka’s dark eyes. _

 

_ “Ya-chan?”  Tanaka asked, turning his head towards the tiny woman who stepped closer.  “Do you have a private room free?” Kei felt his face flame but he didn’t resist as Tanaka pulled him after Yachi, who led them to the last room in the long hall, far away from his father's room. _

 

_ Tanaka slipped Yachi money and asked for some food before ushering Kei into the room.  Kei pulled away from the other man, trying to compose himself. It was usually relatively easy but everything always seemed to fall apart when Tanaka was near. _

 

_ “I don’t need food.”  Kei stated, knowing he was just being difficult at this point.  Tanaka laughed and poked at Kei’s stomach. _

 

_ “There’s barely anything there, you need some meat on your bones.”  Tanaka grinned up at him and Kei found himself looking down at where the material of Tanaka’s kimono gaped to show most of his chest and stomach. _

 

_ “We can’t all be built like you.”  Kei stated, realized his hand was reaching out to touch and dropped it to his side.  Tanaka was tilting his head at Kei, face quite serious for once. _

 

_ “You’re welcome to touch if you want.”  Tanaka finally stated and Kei felt his face heat up once more.  He did want to touch and to look even more but it was such a foreign concept to Kei.  Kei had recently accepted that he just wouldn’t ever have the sort of attraction that men gossiped about towards women, it just wasn’t in him.  But it wasn’t as if he felt any of those feelings towards men either. _

 

_ Then Tanaka Ryuunosuke came and ruined all of that, everything Kei had worked hard to accept about himself was blown away.  It wasn’t like that in the beginning, Kei thought it might have just started this summer. He wouldn’t admit it but he liked spending time with Tanaka, he was honest and straight forward when no one else in Kei’s life was and he seemed to care about Kei, not because his family was wealthy or he made a ‘good match’ but just Kei.  He trusted Tanaka with his secrets, how he felt betrayed by his brother and how he didn’t much like his father and how guilty he felt about his mother's passing because he knew nothing about her. _

 

_ Recently it had gone from wanting to spend time with Tanaka to wanting to be near him, close to him.  Kei wanted to see if Tanaka’s hair was as coarse as it looked, or if perhaps it was deceptively soft. Kei wanted to press his lips against Tanaka’s, feel his grin and swallow down his laughter.  But they had always been out in public and Kei knew those sort of feelings, those urges weren’t acceptable to have, not towards another man. _

 

_ But Kei found himself taking that step as he usually did in Tanaka’s presence.  He moved closer and bent down, pushing his lips against Tanaka’s surprised mouth before pulling back just as quickly, wondering if he had been mistaken as Tanaka blinked up at him. _

 

_ “Have you never kissed anyone?”  Tanaka asked, his laughter bubbling up and making Kei want to push him away. _

 

_ “No, have you?”  Kei found himself answering honestly, watching as Tanaka’s laughter died down but his wide grin was still spread across his face. _

 

_ “You’re gonna bust someone's lip open if you come in like that.”  Tanaka said instead of answering Kei. He cupped Kei’s face, hands rough and calloused but still gentle as he angled Kei’s head down.  “Kissing a woman or a man, whichever doesn’t matter. We all want to be kissed softly, at least the first time around.” And then Tanaka did kiss him softly, barely there pressure that had Kei wanting to lean closer, to breath Tanaka in. _

 

_ They were interrupted by Yachi bringing food before anything more could happen.  Which was probably for the best, Kei wasn’t sure if he even wanted more to happen though Tanaka seemed enthusiastic.  Yachi seemed more embarrassed about interrupting than she did about two men kissing and as Kei allowed Tanaka to feed him, both of them catching the other up on what they were doing in the time they hadn’t seen each other, Kei wondered if that was normal here. _

  
  


**1868**

  
  


“Tsukishima?”  Ryuu asked and Kei tried not to let the use of his last name bother him as Ryuu held his katana out at the ready.  “You.” Ryuu spat out as Kuroo followed behind him. Kuroo didn’t look bothered by the katana aimed at him, his own hand resting on the sword at his waist.

 

Kei had seen the emperor from a distance several times, had heard about him enough times from Ryuu to have a vivid picture in his head of the other man thought of in the same respect as a god by so many.  Sawamura Daichi stood shorter than Ryuu, though not by an significant amount, but he was broader all the way through. His eyes were wide and a dark brown, with a square jawline and an impressive determined expression on his face.  He looked neither worried nor cowed in anyway.

 

“Ryuu, we need to get out of here.”  Kei tried but Ryuu’s eyes remained on the enemy soldier in the room.

 

“You should listen to him.”  Kuroo advised, causing both Ryuu and Sawamura’s eyes to narrow.  “The rest of my men should be here soon. We don’t want anymore blood shed.”

 

“You dare threaten our imperial highness?”  Ryuu spat out, hands tightening on the hilt of his katana, shoulders tensing.  Kei didn’t know who would win in a fight, Kuroo or Ryuu but he didn’t want to find out so he stepped in the way.  He forced Ryuu’s attention on himself but it was Kuroo who spoke up.

 

“No harm will come to Sawamura-sama.”  Kuroo stated, which seemed to surprise all of them.  “As I said, we don’t want to shed anymore blood. If they killed our imperial majesty then we would have an uprising on our hands.  He will live a very long and happy life outside of the capital.”

 

“You think I will believe you?  After conning your way in-” But Ryuu was cut off by Sawamura placing his hand upon his shoulder.  Ryuu’s eyes widened but he didn’t move a single muscle.

 

“Your word that Tanaka walks away unharmed.”  It was the first time hearing the emperor's voice.  It was thick and deep, commanding and yet there was something about it that eased Kei’s worries.  Ryuu opened his mouth but the emperor continued speaking. “Your word Kuroo.” No honorific added, which either meant an insult or there was a closeness between them.

 

“You have my word.”  Even Kei had to turn to look at Kuroo, saw the flash of something undeniably soft in the other man's usually hard face as he looked over Ryuu’s shoulder towards Sawamura.

 

“Please go with Tsukishima-san.”  The emperor said, making Ryuu turn around in shock.  Kei was left speechless also, he had no idea the emperor knew who he was.  Kei had always known that Ryuu was loyal to his emperor, that there was clear love there that Kei would never be able to understand.  He always assumed it went one way but now he wasn’t so sure.

 

“I cannot leave you at such a time, no matter what that man says, he’s been lying to us this whole time.”  Ryuu said quickly, pleadingly. If Kei hadn’t been watching so closely he might have missed the shame that momentarily flashed on Kuroo’s face.

 

“Heed my last order Ryuu, go with Tsukishima-san and live happily.  You would not ignore the last order I’ve given you, will you?” Sawamura smiled and even Kei felt affected by it, warmed from the inside out.  Ryuu reluctantly slid his katana back in the sheath, eyes downcast and usually tanned cheeks pale. “You have served me honorably, I wish our time could have been longer but that is not our destiny.”

 

“Sawamura-sama.”  Ryuu whispered, tears rolling down his face unashamedly.

 

“You will take care of him.”  Kei stood up straighter when he realized the emperor was addressing him.  He thought of saying something but in the end found himself bowing fully at the waist for the first time.  “Go now.” Sawamura ordered, speaking to Ryuu once again. Kei grabbed his sleeve and pulled him out of the room, glancing back only once to see Kuroo moving closer to the emperor, reaching out with hesitation to brush his fingers against Sawamura’s tightly closed fist.

 

Kei turned his back on them as he picked up speed, never dropping Ryuu’s sleeve once.

  
  


**1864**

  
  


_ Kei laid in the futon next to Ryuu, staring up at the ceiling and trying not to think too hard.  He couldn’t help it though, he felt the sweat drying on his body, the heaviness of the air against his skin, the way everything around him seemed to be saturated with Ryuu’s smell, his very being.  Kei cringed slightly as he rolled to his side, trying to ignore the stiffness and the soreness of certain parts of his body. _

 

_ Ryuu’s eyes were closed and there was a certain stillness about him that made Kei believe he hadn’t fallen asleep.  There was a flush still on his cheeks and he hadn’t even used the blanket to cover up as Kei had. _

 

_ “Do you regret it?”  Kei found himself asking because there had always been a level of honesty shared between them.  Ryuu probably didn’t even know how to lie, though Kei found himself doing it often in his normal life. _

 

_ “No.”  Ryuu looked over at Kei with heavy lidded eyes that appear black in the dim lighting.  “Do you?” _

 

_ Kei frowned as he thought about it.  He never felt any pressure to push whatever was going on between them further.  Ryuu seemed happy, even when Kei was purposefully being an asshole and they did nothing but bicker.  Kei had liked kissing Ryuu, liked touching and being touched by the other man but they had never gone further than that. _

 

_ Kei’s father had died during the winter, leaving the business to Kei.  Akiteru had come back, claiming he just wanted to help Kei in anyway he could but he didn’t know if that was true.  Everything seemed to be changing but when he had arrived in Edo, Ryuu had stayed the same. He was a steady presence Kei had come to depend on and for the first time he wondered if there should be more between them. _

 

_ “Have you done this many others?”  Kei asked instead of answering Ryuu’s question.  He didn’t regret it, he didn’t think there was anything he did with Ryuu that he could regret. _

 

_ “A few.”  Ryuu answered, always honest.  He turned onto his own side and reached out to run his hand through Kei’s curly hair.  Kei felt himself melt a little at the touch, though he tried not to show it. He was sure Ryuu had caught onto his affections after all these years. _

 

_ “I’ve never felt this way about another person.”  Kei confessed because it was just Ryuu and him in the room and he had already bared his heart to the other man.  “Not towards a woman or a man.” _

 

_ “I’m your first in every sense of the word.”  Ryuu stated, sounding arrogant and Kei opened one eye to glare at the other man.  Ryuu moved closer despite it already being too hot in the dark room. _

 

_ “I always thought there was something wrong with me, I do not feel the way others do.”  Kei said. Even sex had been more of a curiosity than a need, though he had never wanted to do it with anyone until Ryuu came along and that was only after years of knowing him. _

 

_ “Some can fuck another with no attachment, but some require a closeness of souls and even then, some simply have no interest in it.”  Ryuu trailed his hand down Kei’s face. “I am fine if you never want to do this again, though if you do want to I am always here.” He grinned at Kei, who clicked his tongue in annoyance even as he felt a flood of relief. _

 

_ “You make it sound so easy.”  Kei grumbled, causing Ryuu to grin. _

 

_ “Kei, I think even if I had never met you I would feel a vital part of myself missing.”  Kei leaned over and kissed Ryuu because what else was there to say? _

  
  


**1868**

  
  


Kei stepped into his cabin on the ship.  After boarding he had to discuss a few things with the captain and had left Ryuu there, hoping that the other man would still be there when he returned.  Intense relief washed over him as he stepped towards the samurai who was gazing out the port window.

 

“Do I need to tie you to my bed?”  Kei asked. The lost look disappeared from Ryuu’s eyes as his head snapped in Kei’s direction.  “You’re not thinking of flinging yourself overboard for honor or something silly like that, are you?”  A frown appeared between Ryuu’s brow as he placed a hand on his katana. “Ryuu?” Kei asked worriedly when the other man didn’t answer.

 

“I’m thinking about threatening to do it just to get you to tie me down.”  Ryuu grinned as Kei let out a noise of annoyance before closing the distance between them.

 

“Do you hate me for taking you away?”  Kei asked.

 

“I’ve I hadn’t of wanted to come, I wouldn’t have.”  Ryuu answered honestly and Kei found himself nodding.  He had height over Ryuu but that was about it, cleverness against Ryuu’s years of training would get Kei no where.  “Do you really think that man will keep his word?”

 

“I have no idea what Kuroo’s thinking.”  Kei stated truthfully but continued on before Ryuu could look too worried.  “But I think he separated from his men and risked his life to escort your imperial highness to safety.  I think he knew taking in the emperor would stop the majority of the fights that had broken out. I don’t think he planned liking the emperor as much as he did either.”  Ryuu grinned at that, looking proud as he glanced out the window once more.

 

“If I hear even a rumor that the shogun is being mistreated I’ll kill him.”  Ryuu said roughly and Kei didn’t have it in him to tell Ryuu that Sawamura Daichi was no longer shogun.  “My family has served the Sawamura’s for generations. I do not know what to do now.”

 

“I can take you anywhere you want to go.”  Kei offered but continued with his heart in his throat.  “But perhaps you would like to work for me?”

 

“You have a need for an ousted samurai?”  Ryuu asked, stepping closer to Kei and relieving his worries with an almost too-wide grin.

 

“I do find myself in dangerous situations sometimes.”  Kei said as he lowered his head, letting Ryuu reach the last distance to gently press their lips together.  “But you have to call me Tsukishima-sama.” Ryuu gasped and Kei couldn’t help the laughter that burst out of him at his indignant look.


End file.
